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This month we are profiling a beautiful Genesis Opal vertical lift. It is installed prominently at the new Wolf Restaurant in Oakland, California. The Genesis Opal provides an ADA-compliant accessibility solution. Wheelchair users and other members of the public who have difficulty using stairs will be able to utilize it.

In this case, the Opal is used at the front entrance to the restaurant because the main entrance is located above grade. This is a very common accessibility problem. The lift is a good solution because it takes up much less room than a switchback ramp. It is also easier to use for people in wheelchairs. The owners opted to include a beautiful, ornate steel gate at the entrance. The gate blocks off the lift after hours, protecting it from misuse or vandalism. The gate and the lift were painted to match.

A big thank you and congratulations to Martin Crowley and the crew at Midwest Accessibility Products of Cincinnati, Ohio. Their installation of three Genesis Enclosure vertical platform lifts has earned them their first Garaventa Lift Project of the Month for July, 2017.

The project was commissioned by the Housing Authority of Morehead, Kentucky. This follows an earlier project at the same housing complex five years ago. At the time, they chose two Genesis Enclosures. Clearly, the experience was a good one as they opted to purchase three more. These are vertical platform lifts including factory-made aluminum enclosures with bronze plexiglas enclosure panels. This represents a modular accessibility solution, requiring very little special preparation.

This month we have selected a small Genesis Shaftway vertical lift installed at the very first Nutella Café in Chicago. Noah Szporn, head of marketing at Nutella North America was quoted in USA Today, “There’s an incredible dining culture in this city, and Nutella is all about the idea of sharing good food with friends and family. We thought that Chicago would be the perfect place to do that.”

The Garaventa Lift is painted white and includes power door operators on both the lower and upper landings. A small shaftway vertical lift is a common, user-friendly accessibility solution for many new retail and light commercial spaces.

Congratulations to Shannon Chasteen and the rest of the great folks at Garaventa Lift Illinois in Antioch. Their submission of photos from The Nutella Café in Chicago has earned them the Garaventa Lift Project of the Month for June, 2017.